“I haven’t enjoyed watching you sink into the black pit of despair you’ve been in. If this helps you climb out, I’ll be glad. Truly glad.” I could tell he meant it, and despite the harrowing lives we all lived, I felt another positive emotion I hadn’t felt in months.
Gratitude.
Genuinely touched, I made my way back downstairs.
7
Molly
After Luca left, I studied my surroundings, going over every nook and cranny. I knew escape would be difficult if not impossible, and the truth of the matter was that the Varasso family appeared to have a lot of resources. Even if I did somehow manage to find a way out of here, they’d be able to hunt me down anytime they wanted.
They knew where I lived. They knew about my family, about Tara. I couldn’t endanger her like that. I went from scrutinizing my environment to pacing, whipping back and forth in a burst of pent up energy and angst.
As I wore a path into the floor, I considered my newest option. Working for them. It sounded insane. Like going cuckoo insane. But by doing their bidding, I might be able to keep their attention off my sister and on me. I still didn’t know exactly how much time I’d spent in here, but it couldn’t have been more than twenty-four hours.
Even though it felt like a goddamn year.
If I could continue to make deals with them, maybe somehow I cou
ld sneak away at some point in the future. Once their guard was down.
If it ever went down.
I thought of Luca Varasso. He seemed far more complicated than I’d first thought. He’d struck me as this attractive villain to begin with, and he still was, but there was more to him, too. He’d gone out of his way to save me. He could’ve taken whatever he wanted from me, my body and my life, but he hadn’t.
I still didn’t understand his motives. Except for one. For whatever random reason, he seemed to be attracted to me. I’d seen it in those dark eyes of his. Physically, he wanted me. But at least for now, I knew he considered himself above forcing himself on me.
Which was definitely a comfort.
Now if I could turn that into an advantage. Getting a meal and some drinks out of most members of the male species didn’t require much thought. Low cut top plus short-assed skirt equaled a win. Especially when I was willing to take a quick roll with them in the back of their car or in their bed. Easy.
I had the added bonus of him being good looking to the point of absurdity. I lived in a city of a million and a half people. I’d flirted with and dated lots of guys. Lots. But not once had I seen one so jaw-droppingly handsome. And he’d smelled wonderful, too. His aroma had been potent, a fragrance reminiscent of the ocean mixed with something lighter I couldn’t quite name.
Too bad he was evil.
Though if I was being honest with myself, that evil side hooked me in, too. At least a little. I’d always been drawn to the bad boys. The rebel without a cause type. Even the boys in juvie type. There was something so alluring about a guy who’d flip authority the bird, wrap an arm around my shoulders, and kiss the bejesus out of me.
Those bad boys knew a lot more about pleasure than the nice boys did. I knew that from experience. I knew how to grab a guy’s interest and reel him in. I knew what to do to ensure myself a very enjoyable and satisfying night. I didn’t find that part difficult.
The part I did find difficult was keeping them long term. That had always eluded me. It was a skillset I lacked. Which since I needed that skillset now, sucked.
In my mind, I checked off what I knew about Luca that I could work to my benefit:
One, he was attracted to me.
Two, he wanted any sex we might have to be consensual.
Three, he’d been affected by my breakdown.
The dude might be a mobster with a capital M, but he wasn’t heartless. And I could totally use that.
I heard a creak as he opened the door, and I halted in my tracks. I noticed this strange awareness I had of him when we were alone together, like on some subconscious level I knew where he was in respect to me at all times. Which again was downright cuckoo. Being kidnapped and imprisoned must be affecting my mental stability.
Not that I’d felt all that stable to begin with.
Luca held something behind his back. As he approached, his eyes stared holes through me. It was like being scanned by twin laser beams. Except I doubted lasers would give me shivers that raced up and down my spine in a way I never could have anticipated.
“Oh, honey, you’re back from the store. Did you remember to get the tampons and maxi pads?” I quipped, my go-to in any horrendous situation kicking in again. My inappropriate attempts at levity were as instinctual to me as breathing.